Dean accepted special interest money

[cbua34]

...what a sneaky snake. here are some clippings from the AP article by John Solomon:

While governor of Vermont, Howard Dean accepted personal pay from special interests at least five times for speeches and also received more than $60,000 in checks and pledges for his charity fund from insurers who benefited from a state tax break, according to documents and interviews.

<snip>

The checks and pledges totaling at least $62,500 to Dean's Vermont Computer Project, an initiative the governor created to donate equipment to Vermont schools, came from captive insurance and reinsurance companies, nontraditional insurers which provide health care coverage to companies in tax-friendly ways.

<snip>

Charles Lewis, head of the Washington-based Center for Public Integrity that studies public officials' conduct, said Friday the revelations risk tarnishing Dean's self-portrait as a political outsider. "This is the same kind of thing that goes on in Washington, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day," Lewis said. "It's not something you would expect the reformer, outsider candidate would have in his background."

<snip>


Several governors told AP they decline such money or gifts for appearances sake. "The governor does not accept honoraria or gifts," said Josh Morby, spokesman for Wisconsin's Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle.

[KissMyAsscroft]

1. John Solomen...

yawn...


Looks like Bush is down to 199,999,999 after paying this whore a dollar to write this garbage.

[DemDogs]

15. And Charles Lewis -- the guru on political integrity and money

It occurs to me that every time there is a criticism of Dean, the attack comes against the person making the attack. Well, Charles Lewis is above reproach. You can call Solomen a "whore" (without support, I might add) but what about Lewis? You can't take the same approach to his condemnation of Dean on this, because Lewis is beyond reproach on this subject.

[BeatleBoot]

2. So What?

I'm voting for Clark, but so what?

How may billions has the Bush Family Evil Empire bilked from the U.S. Taxpayers?

Silverado Savings and Loan scandal by Neil Bush was $ 1 billion alone!

[DemDogs]

16. The "So what" is that we have to be able to call Bush on this

And we can't do it with a candidate who is guilty (albeit on a smaller scale) of the same sort of behavior. The question is whether you will sell out the public interest, not at what price you will sell us out.
Turns out maybe "you" don't have the power . . . unless "you" have the bucks.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[Vote2004]

10. What is free republic? (Just curious)

Since you tell this person to go back there, I guess it is not a very good site then?

[BeatleBoot]

11. It's a message board where everyone worships

Bush the sissy.

[Cha]

4. You have got to be

kidding!!!

[cbua34]

5. I'm an Edwards supporter...

..who cant stand what Dean is doing to this party. We are going to be a laughing stock come Nov 04 with him as our nominee

[cavebat2000]

6. Uh huh

Welcome to DU. Be prepared to actually have to support your argument here.

[DemDogs]

14. One of the arguments against Dean was in the first post

How are we supposed to argue that Bush has spent the last three and half years scratching the backs of his friends if our nominee is subject to the same criticism? Dean has had contributions from utilities friends, pharmaceutical friends, insurance friends whom he has treated well in Vermont. That troubles me, as it does the previous poster.

The rest of the arguments against Dean are posted here often -- and this is the place where we hash out both our positions, our criticisms, our gut feelings, and our fears. Don't be afraid to post any of these, as long as you follow the board rules.

Welcome.

[BeatleBoot]

7. If we keep bashing each other's candidates..

any of the nine candidates are guaranteed to be the laughing stock come November.

I ain't crazy about Dean (like you), but dammit man, show some solidarity here.

Clark/Kerry 2004!

Bush is a sissy.

[bowens43]

9. Oh, I doubt that very much.

My guess is that you are scared shitless that Dean is going to put the idiot in the oval office out on his ass come november.....

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[cbua34]

13. Just because...

it is legal makes it right? Evidently ethics are not a requirement to be a Dean supporter. John Edwards has never taken a nickel of special interest money and when we nominate him this year, these types of stories won't be in Edwards' closet.

This is similiar to Dean only unsealing his records if a judge decrees that he do so. He shouldnt need a judge to tell him to do what he already knows is right.

John Edwards in 2004

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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[Mairead]

17. This seems trivial to me. Just noise that takes away from the

more important issue of whose side was he on in office, and what does he propose to do if we put him in the WH. Those issues are the important ones. Whether he took speaking fees is just noise by comparison.